The Alyansa Tigil Mina Blog

MARINDUQUEÑOS SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF ALBAY IN THEIR STRUGGLE AGAINST LA FAYETTE REOPENING

BOAC, MARINDUQUE – The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC), joins the people of Albay and Sorsogon and other environmental groups in condemning in the highest degree the recent decision of DENR to allow the re-opening of La Fayette Mining despite the damages it wrought to the rich fishing ground of the area and its continuous threat to the people and the environment.

The series of mining disasters (heavy metal contamination in Calancan Bay since 1975, collapse of Maguilaguila Siltation Dam in 1993, and the infamous Boac River Environmental Disaster of 1996) which we experienced in Marinduque due to the irresponsible operation of Placer Dome, Inc (now Barrick, Inc.) and Marcopper Mining Corporation and the inefficiency of the government’s environment agencies are coming back to us as nightmares when we heard of the cyanide spill in Rapu-rapu.

But even more painful for us, Marinduqueños, is our unending quest for environmental justice which brought us to Nevada, USA to file charges against Placer Dome for dumping its responsibilities for the clean-up of the impacted environment and ecosystems, for the treatment of children whose blood were contaminated with heavy metals, and for the rehabilitation of the mining structures left un-maintained in the mine site (which now pose more dangers to the lives and properties of the people) especially now that Marinduque was confirmed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as the number one province in the country that is highly susceptible to landslides.

Similarly, the quest for justice of the people of Albay and Sorsogon fell into deaf ears and callous consciences of the people in government who vowed to uphold the Constitution, the highest law of the land which guaranteed the people’s right to a balance and safe environment. We reiterate the recommendations of the Bastes Commission, which calls on the government, among others, to impose a moratorium on mining in Rapu-rapu island, and to immediately repeal the Mining Act of 1995.

No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, HOR Speaker Jose de Venecia, former DENR Secretary Michael Defensor and DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, in a closed-door meeting on March 10, 2006 with some of the Philippine Bishops, including our Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista, promised to have an immediate review of the said law. But nothing was heard of since then. Is this a mere ploy to appease the growing disappointment of the CBCP to the present administration as can be gleaned from the January 29, 2006 CBCP Pastoral Letter questioning the provisions of the said law?

REFERENCE:

Myke R. Magalang

Executive Secretary

Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns

Boac, Marinduque

Tel: (042) 332-2713)

myke_sacmarinduque@yahoo.com

________________________________________________

MAKE MARINDUQUE A MINING-FREE PROVINCE!

MIGUEL “Myke” R. MAGALANG

Executive Secretary

Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns

Second Floor, Sacred Heart Diocesan Pastoral Center

Cathedral Compound, Boac, 4900 Marinduque, Philippines

Tel: (042) 332-27-13 ________________________________________________

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=alvinCapino_june16_2006

Indubitably, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes faced a hard decision on what to do with the controversial Lafayette copper and zinc mining project in Rapu-Rapu Island in the province of Albay.

Allowing Lafayette to resume operations after two wastewater spills last October is expected to be opposed by the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which had already issued a strongly worded pastoral letter last January on the dangers to the environment and adjacent communities of mining activities.

Although the CBCP statement did not go as far as to oppose mining per se, it expressed concerns on the way mining is done at present. (more…)

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=editorial_june16_2006

GIVEN the poverty that afflicts so many of our countrymen, only the most rabid luddite—and these days, some clerics seem to fit this description—would want to deny people the opportunity to earn a decent living from mining. What concerns most of us, as it should, is that the environment is protected, that the neighboring communities remain healthy, and that our miners are safe while our mineral resources are being exploited.

Against this backdrop, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was correct in its decision to give the Australian Lafayette Mining a 30-day test run to prove it can operate its zinc and copper mine on Rapu-Rapu Island within environmental standards.

The mining company, suspended for seven months because of two cyanide spills in October last year, has been made to put a battery of new safeguards in place and to pay a hefty P10.4 million fine for its earlier transgressions. (more…)

BIG DEAL
By Dan Mariano
What price Rapu-Rapu?
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/june/16/yehey/opinion/20060616opi4.html

SOME lawmakers have vowed to cut the budget of the National Printing Office to one peso. They are particularly keen on making life hell for NPO Director Philip Evardone whom they accuse of using state facilities to print primers and other paraphernalia in support of the administration’s bid to rewrite the 1987 Constitution.

Strangely, none of Evardone’s accusers has shown proof that the NPO had indeed churned out Charter-change propaganda. All that they have offered, by way of evidence, is his kinship to

Gov. Ben Evardone of Eastern Visayas. Philip and Ben are brothers.
Ben, spokesman for the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, has been articulating the provincial, town and city executives’ support for Charter change. Philip has not made known his views on the matter, but he insists he has not allowed the NPO to produce primers and similar propaganda materials. Those who know Philip well believe that, unlike some of his detractors, he is not prone to prevarication. (more…)

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/june/16/yehey/prov/20060616pro3.html

To closely monitor the test run of Lafayette Philippine Inc. on Rapu-rapu Island, Albay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources disclosed that it would use the help of the local communities.

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes said the department would use the locals as “force multiplier” to ensure that Lafayette complies with conditions imposed to conduct a test run.
Reyes said they would create a regional multisectoral environmental council as a venue for discussing and resolving all environmental concerns and administer the people’s health and environmental protection fund.

He said the council would be headed by the regional director and chaired by a representative from the National Economic Development Authority. (more…)

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200606169906.htm
By Peter Dejaresco
The Philippine Star 06/16/2006

TAGBILARAN CITY — Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado has issued an administrative order prohibiting the issuance of quarry and mining permits near the Chocolate Hills.

Aumentado issued Administrative Order No. 3, Series of 2006 the other day after Carmen Vice Mayor Josil Trabajo, the acting mayor, admitted in a recent radio interview that he has allowed the extraction of limestone in Barangay Montesuerte since 2001.

The limestone extracted was to be used in the construction of barangay roads, a project of Trabajo.

Aumentado recently inspected the boundary of Carmen, Sagbayan and Dagohoy towns and was irked to find quarrying activities there for which he had not issued any extraction permits.

Aumentado immediately directed provincial attorney Handel Lagunay to file appropriate charges against those behind the illegal quarry